


Language Drabbles

by leowritestuff



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aromantic Keith (Voltron), Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Galaxy Garrison, Galra Keith (Voltron), Galra Language, Gen, Im making up a language for them so I need to practice, Keith (Voltron)-centric, Light Angst, broganes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2019-10-16 01:48:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17540363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leowritestuff/pseuds/leowritestuff
Summary: Different times the galra language effect Keith's life.--Or in which the author makes up a galran language for the heck of it and needs some way to practice it.





	1. Laht bavat var? (Who am I?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Texas decides to play a game with his young son to make sure Keith doesn't forget his mother's language. 
> 
> Later in life, on the castle of lions, Keith wonders what exactly knowing galra means.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations are provided next to the dialouge in galra. 
> 
> Texas Kogane is referred to as "Austin" in this fic.

"Keith," spoke the gentle voice of Austin, Keith's father,"Laht bavat var?( _Who am I?_ )"

Keith frowned, not sure what his dad was getting at. "You're my dad? Is this a game?"

Austin nodded. "It is a game. And to play, you need to answer in the same language I'm speaking."

"Oh," Keith answered, then his eyes brightened, opening wide, "Oh!"

In rapid speech, Keith responded again, eyes twinkling. "Valdir bagir vaprerr zo var! _(You are my dad!)_ "

Austin chuckled, ruffling Keith's hair fondly. "Skin! Var bavat vaprerr zo kodlir. _(Yes! I am your dad.)_ "

Keith smiled wildly, giggling, shouting, "Yes!" for getting it right.

Then, Keith slapped a hand over his mouth, realizing he broke the language. Keith corrected  himself. "Skin! _(Yes!)_ "

Austin chuckled some more. "Next question. Laht bagir kodlir? _(Who are you?)_ "

"Var bavat prerrav zo valdir! _(I am your son!)_ " Keith responded with enthusiasm.

Austin smiled, and nodded. "Skin. Kodlir bagir prerrav zo var. _(Yes. You are my son.)_ "

\--

Keith sat on the bed in the room of the castle the Altean's gave him. His bed, he supposes. It doesn't feel like his.

He rubs his thumb over the glowing symbol engraved in his knife, the knife he got from his mother.

Softly, to himself Keith whispers,"Laht bavat var? _(Who am I?)_ " in the same tongue his mother gave to him.

For once, he doesn't have the answer.


	2. Valdir bagir vinpre zo var. (You are my brother.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's been something Keith has been wanting to tell Shiro, but he's never had family sense his father passed away and he's scared of how Shiro is going to react. 
> 
> But, Shiro is going to go to Kerberos soon so Keith's afraid if he doesn't say it now, he never will. 
> 
> Things don't go as planned, but they still turn out alright. 
> 
> \--
> 
> Or in which its easier to say things in a language no one else understands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shiro's about to go to Kerberos, and he's about 23 here. Keith is 16. They've known each other for about two years. 
> 
> Translations are provided next to the dialouge.

Keith sat next to Shiro during dinner. It was quiet, like usual. Keith doesn't talk very much. Usual Shiro will ask Keith a question or something though, and he hasn't yet today.

It's a little unnerving honestly, but at the same time Keith is thankful for it. He wants to tell Shiro something and he feels that if Shiro started to talk he'd loose his nerve.

The words are at the tip of Keith's tongue. He knows exactly what he needs to say, and the Kerberos Mission is coming up so he needs to say it soon. He just can't. It feels too personal, and Keith wants to take that step, to be closer to Shiro. But its scary, he's never had a- a- its hard for him to even think it. A vinpre ( _brother_ ) before. Thinking the word in the other language makes it easier.

And that gives Keith an idea. If he can't say it in English maybe he can say it in his mother's tongue?

"Shiro." Keith says, and he looks up at him.

Shiro hums in acknowkedgement, setting his fork down and turning to Keith. "Yes, Keith?"

Shiro's eyes on Keith unnerves him so Keith drops his gaze. But still, he needs to say this so he speaks.

"I- um..." Keith starts. Its still hard to say.

"Yes, Keith?" Shiro repeats, then adds"Is everything alright?"

"Valdir bagir... _(You are...)_ " Keith manages to get out the first too words before his mouth clamps up against his will.

Keith's fist tightens around his fork. Goddamnit why can't he just say it?

Forcing himself, Keith manages to say the whole sentence. Its fast and rushed, but its out and that's all Keith cares about. "Valdir bagir vinpre zo var. _(You are my brother.)"_

Shiro looks confused. He doesn't get it. Part of Keith is frustrated, against his better judgement. He figured Shiro wouldn't understand him but part of Keith expected him too.

"Forget it," Keith says before he can think.

"Keith..." Shiro says in that weird tone that for some reasons reminds Keith of his dad. "Whatever you said, it meant something important to you, didn't it?"

Keith doesn't answer. Somehow, Shiro figures out the answer.

"If you translate what you're saying, I can understand what you mean."

Keith tries to stay quiet, but eventually, he answers. "...I don't want to translate it."

"Okay..." Shiro says slowly,"How come?"

"It-" Keith starts to say but he's not sure how to explain it. "...Its hard to say in English."

Shiro still looks confused, but then he seems to get it.

"Oh," Shiro says, then with a smile, he repeats back,"Valdir bagir vinpre zo var. _(You are my brother._ )"

Keith smiles back. He knows Shiro doesn't really understand or know what Keith says (I mean, Shiro didn't say it quite right), but he thinks, he hopes, that Shiro gets what its supposed to mean. Its not as upfront as what Keith was planning or expecting. Its smaller, not quite there. But Keith's okay with that. Its actually more comfortable that way.

And, maybe, one day Keith will be able to say that in English. And maybe one day, Shiro will know exactly what he's saying.

One day they'll get there.

 


	3. Dumber than Dirt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith over hears someone talking in galra and, though he's a little rusty, he manages to figure it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No translations provided because this chapter is literally about translating. 
> 
> And hey, look at that, the title isn't in galra!

"..bymi pre bamog lih saldir no kalosgir ix gon- saldir kov trantahtgir."

Keith heard the noise from far away. It sounded both like gibberish but also familiar?

Keith turned to his blade partner and asked,"Did you hear that?"

His partner nodded. She gestured, pointing at Keith and herself, then at the noise. Aka, she meant for her and Keith to sneak up on the noise, or rather, whoever's making it.

Keith turned the noises again in his head as he crept forward, trying to figure why exactly it was familiar.

It reminded Keith if his father somehow, and his mother. What did his mother say to him that could make him remember that noise?

Oh! That's right, his mother's language, he had almost forgotten. His mother is galra, so she must of spoken galra.

Turning the noise- words in asentence over in his head again he tried to figure out what the galran soldiers where trying to say, and, more importantly, if they accidentally gave up any information.

Keith was able to translate the first four words, which meant 'but that is why-' but he got stuck on "saldir." Going forward, hoping context clues would help, Keith was able to translate no kalosgir ix gon, which meant, you can't do it.

Oh! Oh! Saldir meant you! Keith smirked under his mask, smug about figuring out the language.

Now that he knew every word, Keith knew what they said.

"..but thats why you can't do it- you will actually give us away!"

(Okay, so, they didn't actually say actually but their tone did, okay?)

Keith stopped. Seriously? The thing they yell loud enough for Keith and his partner to here is that?

Keith swears these soldiers are dumber than dirt. 


	4. Kodlir Nakalmgir... (Your name is...)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soft moment when Krolia names her son- well, tries to. Yorak isn't exactly the best name for a human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations are provided next to the dialouge.

Krolia brushed the whisps of hair off her son's forehead as she whispered softly,"Var prixonvat kodlir py nokalz tre bamog Yorak. ( _I name you Yorak._ )"

Next to Krolia stood Yorak's father, Austin, who wore a vaguely confused face. Also whispering, as not to wake his son, he asked Krolia,"What did you say?"

"I gave him his name." Krolia responded, still looking softly at her son. "His name is Yorak."

"Yorak," Austin repeated, trying the name out. It wasn't exactly normal for a human, and Austin was a little worried once he got in school, he'd be made fun of. "How about Keith instead?" Austin asked his wife gently.

Krolia looked up at Austin for a moment, a look in her eyes Austin couldn't quite pin down. He hoped she wasn't mad. Krolia looked down again at their son, then nodded just slightly.

"Keith," Krolia whispered, caressing her son's face, "I like that. Kodlir nakalmgir Keith. ( _Your name is Keith._ )"

"Var prerrvat kodlir. ( _I love you._ )"

 


	5. Var prosalvat saldir (I like you.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After what seems like forever, I add another chapter to this story. 
> 
> A girl takes interest in Keith. He's not having it. Oh, and Lance finally shows up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't Klance, this is aro Keith. 
> 
> Oh, and the galra word y is pronounced the the English word I or eye.

A galran girl walked up to Keith, and made a x with her hands over her chest. "Vrepit sa." Then, she said,"Nakalmgir saldir Keith, skin? Var nakalmvat Kavi." The girl giggled, blushing, before saying,"Var prosalvat saldir."

Lance, who was standing next to Keith beamed, and walked forward towards the girl. He held out his hand and said,"My name's Lance! That's so cool, you speak another language? What's it called? It's common for galra, right?"

The girl merely looked at Lance with a confused expression. Then, she looked back at Keith with a shy smile.

"Uh..." Keith trailed off, at the same time Lance huffed.

What the girl said was familiar. Lance was probably right, it was a foreign language common for galra. And Keith had been taught some, if not a lot, of his mother's language by his father, and picked up more while he was with the Blade. The only question is, what did the girl say?

Keith held up a hand and said,"Wait a moment," hoping the girl got it even though she didn't seem to understand English. Or "Common" as it's called in space.

Vrepit sa was a greeting, used only by the empire. So, the girl was from the empire, then. Keith frowned, he didn't want to make an enemy here. But, the girl was smiling so hopefully she liked him. It had been a bit sense Zarkon's fall.

Nakalmgir saldir... was familiar too. It meant Is your name... Saldir was a pronoun that meant you, but specifically for those you aren't close to that are soldiers. Which, Keith guessed, as a paladin that made him one. He was just glad she hadn't used the derogatory pronoun for galra of mixed-species, which meant good things. Nakalmgir saldir Keith, skin. _Your name is Keith, right?_

Keith nodded, as he answered,"Var nakalmvat Keith, skin." _(My name is Keith, yes.)_

 _Kavi,_  that was the girl's name. And based of "Var prosalvat saldir," which meant _I like you_ in like, a romantic way, well... Kavi liked him.

Keith stiffened. Why. Why the fuck did this have to happen. The team had came here due to Allura and Lotor's request to form a stronger connection between the new empire under Lotor's rule and Voltron. That meant it was very important to make a good impression. Rejecting someone? Especially a shy girl with the awkward way Keith does it? Yeah, Keith isn't a fan.

It's not like Keith can explain to her he doesn't feel romantic attraction. Well sure, he can, but Keith doesn't know how to say it in galra. Ugh.

Kazi looks at Keith with a self-conscious worried look. Keith needs to say something, he doesn't want to hurt her feelings. But he doesn't know what to say because, well, he doesn't want to hurt her feelings.

"Wait wait wait, you can understand that language?" Lance whispers to Keith. "Why didn't you ever tell me you where bilingual?"

Instead of answering Lance's question, Keith asks,"She likes me, but I don't want to hurt her feelings. How do I say no?" He wouldn't usually do this, but Lance was right here, had experience in the romance department, and honestly, Keith just wanted to get out of this situation.

"You wanna let her down easy huh?" Lance asks, cocking an eyebrow. "I don't see why you'd wanna turn her down, she's really pretty."

Keith crosses his arms. "I'm not into girls."

Lance's face went wide, then softened. "Wait, what? Wait, no, that makes a lot of sense." Lance shrugs,"You could just tell her you're dating someone else? That way you're not like... legit rejecting her, but still letting her know you're off the market."

Keith scowled. Tell Kavi he's dating someone else when he'd literally never date anyone, yeah that totally sounds like the best idea. But... at the same time, it made sense. It would do exactly what Keith wanted.

Keith uncrossed his arms and faced Kavi. "Var no prosalvat ix..." He trailed off, trying to remember what to say.

Why did the galra have such complicated pronouns? Kavi didn't look like a soldier, so natdir, right? You, but for a noncombat adult.

"Var no prosalvat ix natdir, Kavi" _(I don't like you.)_ Keith repeated. He reached over and grabbed Lance's hand, thanking the universe Lance didn't understand galra. "Var valvat y lasalak. Valdon nakalmsak Lance." _(I have a boyfriend. His name is Lance)_

Kavi looks between them and frowns. She simply says,"Oh," before walking away.

Lance took his hand from Keith's before holding it up for Keith to high five it. "Ha! Told you it would work."

Lance paused, scratching his head. "Wait, you did tell her you where dating someone else right? I can't understand galra." Lance beamed, eyes shining,"You should totally teach it to me."

Keith gave Lance a pointed look. Although... it might be nice to talk to someone in galra at the castle...

"Wait- wait- wait-" Lance said, his eyes wide,"Did you tell that girl I was your boyfriend?" Lance screeched.

Keith rolled his eyes. "Don't worry," _I'm very aro,_ "I'm not interested."

Lance let out a sigh of relief.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to ask about how this language works. 
> 
> Also hit me up at my tumblr, [ leolikesvoltron ](http://leolikesvoltron.tumblr.com/post/182257825517/galra-subject-pronouns)


End file.
